In 2001 it became apparent that there was a new and important group of administrators that little was known about except on the state level. States were appointing executive directors to manage and lead their state associations. So Jerry McGee, North Carolina had a vision and began the process of forming an organization so we could work together for the betterment of our states associations and our membership. At the annual athletic directors’ conference in Orlando a meeting of state executive directors was held. The first organizational meeting was held in Orlando in 2001 at one table in the back of the room during the State Presidents Breakfast. There were seven states present: Pete Veldman, Minnesota; John and Margaret Carlisle, South Carolina; Bob Buckanavage, Pennsylvania; Marc Hunter, Utah; Gary Leeper, Colorado, Alan Mallanda of New York, Bruce Whitehead representing the NIAAA Jerry McGee representing North Carolina. The NIAAA president that year was Marty Ryan of Maine who was presiding at the meeting. We agreed that we were moving in the right direction and that we began making plans for a summer summit the following year in Indianapolis on August 10-12, 2002. At the 2002 December national conference in San Antonio a separate meeting for executive director was held. The NIAAA was providing this group with the time and resources but more importantly the recognition as a viable and worthwhile entity. It was also agreed that the second Summer Summit would be held the following summer in Chapel Hill, NC from June 6-9, 2003. The agenda became more formalized and sponsors were sought to defray costs and at that Chapel Hill meeting twenty one states were represented in addition to Robert Kanaby from the NFHS and Frank Kovaleski & Bruce Whitehead from the NIAAA. In June 2003 the National Executive Directors Conference (NEDC) was officially formed.